Hay harvesting machine

Abstract

A hay harvesting machine contains a rake wheel whose housing is formed by an upper housing portion non-rotatably connected with a vertical upright shaft and a lower driven housing portion rotatably mounted at such upright shaft. In bearing bushings rotatably mounted at the lower housing portion there are retained tine supports provided with raking tines or prongs. These tine supports extend in an essentially horizontal plane and, by rotating the bearing portions, can be selectively shifted from a first operating position into a second operating position. In the first operating position the tine supports extend approximately in tangential direction and in the second operation position they protrude essentially in radial direction from the upright shaft. Each tine support is connected with a control lever engaging, by means of a control head or follower, into a control track or cam. This control track is located in a plane extending essentially perpendicular to the upright shaft, i.e. horizontally. Each control lever is connected with the related tine support by means of a hinge shaft extending approximately perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the related tine support and located in a plane which is essentially perpendicular to the upright shaft. By virtue of this hinge connection, with the tine supports located in the second operating position, there is eliminated the control connection between the control lever and its tine support.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A hay harvesting machine comprising: at least one rake wheel rotatable about a substantially vertical axis;   said rake wheel comprising: a substantially upright shaft defining said vertical axis;   a housing containing a driven rotatable housing portion;   means for rotatably mounting said rotatable housing portion upon said upright shaft;   a plurality of tine supports, each having a lengthwise axis;   each of said tine supports being selectively movable between two operating positions by rotation of the tine support about an axis extending transversely with respect to its lengthwise axis and approximately parallel with respect to the upright shaft;   a control element provided for each tine support;   hinge connection means for connecting each tine support with its control element;   control track means non-rotatably connected with said upright shaft; each of the control elements being continuously in engagement with the control track means;     said two operating positions defining a first operating position and a second operating position;   a control connection prevailing between the control element and the related tine support in the first operating position by blocking the hinge connection means;   said control connection causing pivoting of the tine support about its lengthwise axis during its revolving motion;   in the second operating position no control connection prevailing between the control element and the tine support by releasing the hinge connection means and the tine supports being secured against pivoting about their lengthwise axis; and   said control track means extending in a plane disposed essentially perpendicular to the upright shaft.     
     
     
       2. The hay harvesting machine as defind in claim 1, wherein: said control track means is arranged above said tine supports.   
     
     
       3. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein: said tine supports are directed rearwardly in their first operating position with respect to the direction of revolving motion;   said control track means comprising a first track section arranged essentially coaxially with respect to the upright shaft and a second track section which, in relation to the first track section, extends at a greater spacing from the upright shaft.   
     
     
       4. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein: said control track means comprises a downwardly open substantially U-shaped sectional member.   
     
     
       5. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein: said control track means comprises a substantially L-shaped sectional member which is downwardly open and open to one side.   
     
     
       6. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein: said control track means comprises a downwardly open substantially U-shaped sectional member.   
     
     
       7. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein: said control track means comprises a substantially L-shaped sectional member which is downwardly open and open to one side.   
     
     
       8. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein: said hinge connection means comprises a hinge shaft interconnecting the control element and the related tine support; and   said hinge shaft extending approximately perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the related tine support and being located in a plane which is essentially horizontal with respect to the upright shaft.   
     
     
       9. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 8, wherein: the control element comprises a control lever having a forked end;   said forked end laterally engaging the related tine support; and   the forked end being connected by means of the hinge shaft with the related tine support.   
     
     
       10. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, further including: a bearing bushing for mounting each tine support;   said bearing bushing being rotatably arranged at the rotatable housing portion for rotation about a rotational axis which extends essentially parallel to the upright shaft and is disposed approximately perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the related tine support.   
     
     
       11. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, further including: an arresting device arranged at each tine support and extending transversely with respect to its lengthwise axis;   said arresting device, with the tine support located in its second operating position, fixedly retaining such tine support to prevent any pivoting thereof about its lengthwise axis and freeing the tine support in the first operating position.   
     
     
       12. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 11, wherein: said rotatable housing portion being provided with a longitudinal slot;   said arresting device extending along the axis of rotation of the tine support and engaging with said longitudinal slot; and   said longitudinal slot extending in the direction of the tine support when located in the second operating position.   
     
     
       13. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein: the rotational angle for shifting the tine support from the first operating position into the second operating position amounts to about 90°.   
     
     
       14. The hay harvesting machine as defined in claim 11, wherein: the tine supports when in their first operating position extend in an approximately tangential direction and in their second operating position extend in approximately radial direction with respect to the upright shaft.   
     
     
       15. A hay harvesting machine comprising: at least one rake wheel rotatable about a substantially vertical axis;   said rake wheel comprising: a substantially upright shaft defining said vertical axis;   a housing containing a driven rotatable housing portion;   means for rotatably mounting said rotatable housing portion upon said upright shaft;   a plurality of tine supports, each having a lengthwise axis and carrying rake tines;   means for enabling each of said tine supports to be selectively movable between two operating positions by rotation of the tine support about an axis extending transversely with respect to its lengthwise axis and approximately parallel with respect to the upright shaft;   a control element provided for each tine support;   hinge connection means for connecting each tine support with its control element;   control track means connected with said upright shaft;   each of the control elements being continuously in engagement with the control track means;   said two operating positions defining a first operating position and a second operating position;   means for establishing a control connection between the control element and the related tine support in the first operating position by blocking the hinge connection means;   said control connection enabling pivoting of the tine support about its lengthwise axis during its revolving motion;   said means for establishing said control connection being structured such that in the second operating position of the tine supports no control connection prevails any longer between the control element and the tine support by releasing the hinge connection means and the tine supports being secured against pivoting about their lengthwise axis; and   said control track means extending in a plane disposed essentially perpendicular to the upright shaft.